Speaker Biographies - Amazon Web Services

Speaker Biographies Marta Alto’s experience stems from her study of home economics at Oregon State University, combined with several years teaching Drama students how to sew costumes. During the last 35 years she has taught others her no‐nonsense approach to sewing in every state of the US, most of Canada and 5 trips to Australia as a Palmer/Pletsch educator. The serger became popular about 27 years ago and Marta has taught hundreds of Hands‐on Workshops. Marta is co‐author with Pati Palmer of the books Fit for Real People, Pants for Real People and Jackets for Real People. She has 12 DVD’s including Serger Basics and Creative Serging, Pant Sewing, Sewing Shirts and Blouses, Sewing Details. and the newest Full Busted. Alex Anderson Alex Anderson's love of quilting all began in 1978 when she completed her Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt as a part of her work towards her degree in art from San Francisco State University. Over the years her central focus has been to understand fabric relationships and an intense appreciation of traditional quilts and beautiful quilting surface design. Alex is the author of 30 books in four languages selling near 1 million copies worldwide. Her quilts and instruction tips have also appeared in numerous magazines. She is the National Spokesperson for Bernina of America, a promotional partner for AccuQuilt's GO!, as well as a designer of her own line of fabrics with P&B Textiles, and threads with Superior Threads. For 11 years, she served as host of "Simply Quilts" on HGTV and now co‐hosts today’s ultimate on line T.V. show and world community at The Quilt Show.com with Ricky Tims. Alex continues to be one of the most sought after instructors and lecturers in the international quilting and sewing industry. Denise Applegate‐Schober, works as a trainer for LiTen Up Technologies, Inc located just north of Chicago. She travels around the United States teaching quilting, sewing and designing. Denise has been sewing for more than 40 years of her life. It is one of her passions and she is always excited to share her knowledge of quilting and sewing with others. Among Denise’s accomplishments are the many entries in art galleries, quilt show and art shows. She has appeared as a guest on America Sews with Sue Hausmann, Martha’s Sewing Room with Martha Pullen and worked with Martha Stewart designing embroidery designs for towels on her television show. Denise does trunk shows and teaches at numerous shows across the United States and abroad. Donna Babylon Donna Babylon's enthusiasm for teaching sewing and decorating is unmistakable through her many books, patterns, videos, television appearances and seminars. She formed her own publishing company because she wanted complete control over her destiny (and she hated attending 8AM meetings). She lives with her menagerie of rescued cats (four) and one dog, a messy sewing room and a busy home office in the peaceful Maryland countryside. Marci Baker is recognized internationally for her expertise in quilting, Marci enjoys sharing ideas that simplify the process of sewing and quilting. Her Qtools™ and Know Before You Sew™ products provide easy‐to‐follow solutions for common sewing and quilting problems. All types of projects are successfully completed with the wealth of information she offers. Enthusiasm and inspiration can be seen throughout her lectures, workshops and books. She has been featured in HGTV’s Simply Quilts; NBC’s The Jane Pauley Show; Redbook; and has published in numerous quilting magazines. Marci, her husband, their sons, Kevin, Marcus, and their pet snake, Scooby, live in Fort Collins, Colorado, where they enjoy the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Sandra Betzina is an internationally‐recognized instructor, speaker and author. Sandra is the host of the Power Sewing WebTV Show (featuring online garment sewing instruction) and is also the author of the Power Sewing Toolbox Volumes 1 & 2, More Fabric Savvy, Fast Fit, Power Sewing Step‐by‐Step, Sandra Betzina Sews for the Home and No Time to Sew. She has produced a skill series of 11 DVDs and also designs a full line of patterns for Vogue under the Today’s Fit Tab. Sandra is also a popular speaker and hosts several week‐long sewing retreats in San Francisco throughout the year. For more information about Sandra Betzina, the Power Sewing WebTV Show, her new Toolbox Volumes 1 & 2, patterns and sewing retreats, visit www.powersewing.com. Ryliss Bod has 32 years’ experience teaching Fashion Construction and Design at a Washington State Technical College. She instructed courses for both continuing education and career training in all levels of sewing construction, home décor construction, fashion accessory construction, fashion design, fitting & pattern alterations, patternmaking, textiles, history of fashion and quilting. Throughout her career she has conducted student fashion and fabric shopping trips to Portland, San Francisco and New York. Jan Bones Hello, my name is Jan Bones. I am a teacher, author and designer. For me, teaching is an inspiring and amazing part of life. The Sew Expo at Puyallup is the place for all of us to share ideas, expand our thoughts and work hard! For 31 years I taught pattern design, garment construction, pattern drafting, tailoring, draping and fitting at the University of Manitoba. I continue to enjoy educating classes of enthusiastic clothing design students at both Red River College and MC College, both located in Winnipeg. In 1994, I started my sewing pattern company, ‘Lingerie Secrets’ and currently there are over 40 designs to fit ladies in all shapes and sizes! Travelling across Canada and the United States, I have the fun of teaching sewing enthusiasts in seminars, hands on workshops and weekend retreats. Also, there are nearly 1000 Dress Forms adorning sewing spaces across the country, courtesy of my workshop on Dress Form creation. Writing books, produced sewing DVD’s, creating articles for Threads magazine and working as a design consultant for the garment industry are other adventures that keep me busy and happy! Lorene Bonewitz Lorene Bonewitz is the owner and founder of The Grapevine Collection of Fine Fashion Fabrics which had its start in 1998 in Colleyville. Texas. This shop is a culmination of her passion for sewing and embroidery. Her career path previously, however, was in the fields of education, as a college and high school language teacher and, in real estate, as a broker of homes and commercial developments in Houston. In 1986, she and her husband moved to the Dallas/Ft Worth area and were blessed with two wonderful children. She stayed home raising them for 10 years, all the while honing her skills in sewing and embroidery. Lorene actually began sewing at the age of 9 designing new garments for her Barbie. With the help of her mother and both grandmothers, who all sewed and embroidered, Lorene was exposed to many forms of fiber art. Since opening the shop, she has travelled and studied with many of her mentors: Margaret Islander, Sandra Betzina, Judy Barlup, Judith Baker Montano, Diana Vandervoot, Susan O'Connor, Martha Pullen, Beverly Sheldrick and Lynn Weeks to mention just a few. Dana Bontrager My absolute favorite thing to do is sew. I learned by watching my mother create great things to wear. My mom taught me an invaluable lesson... don't let others dictate what you can or can't do. My dad taught me another one... you've got to stick with it until it works! I break rules if I must, often throw caution to the winds, and create because I have to. I started my business in 1985 creating custom designs and pattern making. I've worked with individual clients to small manufacturers. Today the business has grown to include my own design line of Fashion Patterns, Art Stamps and all the fun toys to have your own wearable art experience. Tammie Bowser Tammie Bowser is a fiber artist. She is skilled at teaching. Her art uses color, light, fabric and thread. Tammie’s quilts are easy to make and have an element of magic that is exciting for new sewers and advanced quilters! She has been sewing since the age of four. Seen on “Simply Quilts” on HGTV, “Sewing with Nancy” and has a quilt at the ‘Shelburne Museum’ Stacy Brisbee The way Stacy sews & crafts, you’d think she’s been doing it since before she could walk. In another life, she could have been a Rodeo Princess or maybe Martha Stewart’s evil (but more fun) cousin. Stacy joined the staff of the Pendleton Woolen Mill Store in 2007, serving as Education Coordinator and managing our eBay store. When she’s not teaching or selling wool for Pendleton, she’s teaching kids at the local community school. With Stacy, traditional is out the window. She teaches her students to toss the pattern and trust in instinct – and an arsenal of tricks to make even the most difficult details easy. Her cowboy boot collection is legendary among Sewing Expo attendees. Stop by the Pendleton booth each day to check out her latest selection of kicks! Bonnie Britten (left) & Barb Clark (right) The sisters learned to sew with their mom at an early age, and since they liked dressing alike they soon were making their own clothing, because if there were two of something left on the rack, it was ugly! Barb was the most enthusiastic, so they worked out a plan for Bonnie to cut out, she would sew both outfits, and then Bonnie would do the finishing handwork. It was a nice arrangement until they attended different colleges. While raising 4 children, Bonnie has fallen back on her sewing skills with a custom sewing business from time to time, and is still taking on customers in her current semi retirement job as a house mom at the UW in Seattle. Barb still finds time with her busy schedule to sew for friends and her daughters. Its a lifetime addiction for both of us! Bonnie lives in Seattle and is currently a house mom for AXD at the University of Washington, after taking an early retirement from teaching in Iowa. Barb is a physician's assistant for an OB/Gyn practice in Galesburg, Ill, and lives with her husband David in Monmouth, IL. Bobbi Bullard has been a leader in the embellishment and machine embroidery world since 1996.Focusing on beautiful clothing that is flattering to the wearer, she teaches a variety of processes including new ways of combining machine embroidery, dyes, and rubber stamps. Bobbi’s work has been seen in Threads, Belle Armoire, Creative Machine Embroidery, Quiltmaker, Embroidery Journal and Designs in Machine Embroidery. Eleanor Burns Over thirty years ago Eleanor Burns introduced her first Quilt in a Day book, beginning a quilt making revolution. She invited all types of sewers to participate in an age‐old tradition using her unique style; a diverse combination of cutting and sewing applications which replaced scissors and templates with rips and strips, bringing rotary speed to patchwork. She also introduced an incredibly rapid stitching system, applying the method of assembly line sewing to piecework. Her concise, step‐by‐step directions were easy to grasp, allowing anyone to be successful at making a quilt. Eleanor Burns gave quilt makers techniques that compacted months into merely a day, a quilt in a day. Today, as she continues to passionately devote herself to nurturing and motivating thousands of want‐to be quilters with needed self‐confidence, her name and techniques have become synonymous with quiltmaking. Kandi L. Christian Kandi L. Christian, MBA is a well‐known instructor of classes both in the US and England. She is an author of 6 books on sewing and the business of sewing and teaching. She frequently writes articles for major sewing and embroidery magazines. She had been a featured speaker and many sewing events throughout the US. She was also tapped by the BBC to be their expert seamstress for their TV show “While You Were Out.” She is the owner of Sew Timeless, an on‐line store specializing in machine embroidery and embellishments. She is a licensed Martha Pullen instructor and has been a free lance educator for various sewing machine companies. Pam Clarke A noted machine quilter, teacher, and artist, Pam has been machine quilting and creating her own quilting designs since 1986. Designs with Lines has several stencils and sketchbooks available with hundreds of sketches to guide machine quilters in creating a style of their own. June Colburn Designer and educator June Colburn began exhibiting her work and lecturing about Japanese textiles in fashion and home decor while living in Japan in the 1980's. She returned to the U.S. in 1993 and founded a sewing and quilting business, introducing the beauty and variety of kimono to an American audience. This led to June's creating a line of Asian‐
inspired clothing and quilting patterns, marketed here and abroad. While in Japan, she won a first‐place award in the Kobe City Fashion Contest for a patchwork suit reminiscent of eastern European folk costumes and had several quilts included in two of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum's annual exhibits of work by foreign artists resident in Japan. Simplicity Pattern Company features some of June's clothing based on kimono and other Asian garments. Surface design techniques inspire her new ideas for embellishing fabric with dye, discharge, and silk screen designs. Her love and respect for Asian culture and textiles infuses all her presentations. Barbara Crawford is a nationally recognized instructor, and leader in the pattern industry. Barbara teaches at guilds, quilt shops, expos and can be seen on “The Creative Living show” and “It’s Sew Easy “on PBS. Barbara is one of the leading experts in the US in needle felting and Nuno felting. She is well known for her creative jackets and coats made from sweatshirts and wool rayon fabric that have been embellished with appliqué` patterns. Barbara has been a contributor in Sew News, The SQE Professional, Quilt Magazine, Pattern partners with National Nonwovens, along with Designer Needle Felting: Contemporary Styles, Easy Techniques book from Larks Books and she is currently working with American Quilters Magazine on a new article and project for Fall 2012. Barbara has her degree in Art, and is a member of the National Association of Professional Women. For more information, visit her website www.crawforddesings.net Connie Crawford is a licensed designer for BUTTERICK PATTERNS, member of the Sewing Hall of Fame and is owner of Fashion Patterns by Coni (www.fashionpatterns.com).She is a nationally recognized lecturer, fashion specialist, educator, and author of several DVD’s, sewing and pattern textbooks, including A Guide to Fashion Sewing, The Art of Fashion Draping, and Patternmaking Made Easy. Connie has been a production patternmaking/designer in the Los Angeles fashion industry for 35 years. Connie taught patternmaking and fashion design classes for 23 years at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Drawing on her 35 years of experience Connie created her own pattern line with true‐to‐
body fit for mature and plus size women from sizes X‐Small to 6X. Louise Cutting A contributing editor to Thread’s Magazine, Louise Cutting has written numerous articles with an emphasis in garment construction, has lectured at the ASG National Conference, The Sewing and Stitching Expo in Puyallup, WA, The Original Sewing and Quilting Expo, held in various cities, Martha Pullen's Market Place in Texas and has had her own ‘school’ at The Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion in Huntsville. Her speaking engagements and hands on ‘Sit and Sews’ have include many independent fabric stores, ASG chapters around the country, Bishop Sewing Groups and Fiber Artist Guilds. Pam Damour Pam Damour is known as the Decorating Diva. She offers professional drapery workroom training to the trade. She’s a member of SEA, ASG, and AQS. Pam travels internationally teaching her specialty techniques that have brought her years of continued business as the Couture of Home Dec Sewing. Host of her own web‐TV show on sewontv.com “At Home With the Decorating Diva”, Pam is the producer of 13 how‐to DVDs, a national spokesperson for the Warm Company, and Rowenta. Pam enjoys the hands‐on aspect of the window treatment industry and has developed a 12‐part template system to make custom window treatments that are taking the industry by storm! Pam’s new projects include a fabric collection and a new book called “Cheaper by the Dozen.” Her down‐to‐earth nature combined with her professionalism creates a warm and creative experience. Karen Erickson Karen’s passion for sewing began at 10 years old, taking apart worn clothing and using parts for patterns. During high school in 1971, she was awarded Home Economics Student of the year. In the 70's she pursued studies in photojournalism, and in tandem found herself teaching for Art Craft Needlework Co at home parties, plus assisting her customers in how to sew their completed projects. In 1986, Home Finishing by Karen a (home based professional sewing workroom) was born, sewing window treatments, pillow, bedding and slipcovers for customers. In 1999, when 75% of her business had evolved into slipcovering she morphed the business into www.Slipcover America.com and started a networking forum www.slipcovernetwork.com for slipcover professionals in North America. Karen’s world has evolved into being a fulltime educator whose passion is dedicated to home décor, interior fashion and sewing. She has joined forces with Claudia Buchanan and together they have created www.HomeFashionsU.com “dedicated to home décor interior fashion”. Karen hosts a radio podcast “Home Fashions U Blog Talk radio” and produces newsletters, DVDs, CDs and continues to write articles for various print magazines and online publications. Diane Ericson Passionate about creativity and design, Diane teaches workshops and retreats around the country. She is the designer and illustrator of ReVisions, a line of creative sewing patterns and stencils. At home in Ashland Oregon, enjoys teaching, coaching and working in her studio in the Ashland Art Center. For more information: www.dianeericson.com Lee Fletcher Lee's Mother supported her family as a Dressmaker and Embroidery Artist using an old Meistergram machine before computers controlled them. Lee got her first machine at 10 years old because her Mom got tired of her begging to use the power equipment and has been sewing ever since. In college she was responsible for the costumes in several school drama productions including My Fair Lady, Romeo and Juliet, Our Town and many others. Her major was Home Economics specializing in Textiles. Her classes included Tailoring and Pattern Drafting. Lee has been involved in costume making for Ballet, owned her own manufacturing company producing her designs, and now owns Fletcher Ross Designs which produces sewing patterns created as skill builders for quilters and non‐quilters, alike. She supports her customers by teaching classes. Lee has also enjoyed an extensive career in Sales Management for consumer product companies. Lee LOVES to sew and to teach sewing. Jane Garrison Jane Garrison began sewing at the age of 5 at her mother’s knee when she received her first sewing machine and has never stopped. She had lots of family mentors along the way including a great‐aunt who was a milliner and grandmothers who quilted beautifully. She graduated from Marshall U. in Huntington WV (her home town) with a degree in Zoology and minor in Home Economics. She worked on another degree at UNCG in Textile Product Design. Jane briefly taught Science and Home Economics in the public school system, owned a needlework shop and sewing machine dealership, designed two pattern lines and worked for Bernina of America as their National Events Manager before joining YLI Corporation as director of Education in 2005. She and her husband Bill have two adult daughters, two grandchildren and reside in York, SC with their two spoiled‐rotten pound puppies. Lucy Garvin Lucy Garvin is a Threaducator and an award winning textile artist. Her passion for sewing and embellishing has led her, over the years, to explore almost every technique done with a threaded needle, both hand and machine. She shares that passion for sewing and embellishing through her teaching. Helen Gibb Helen Gibb, a native of Australia now residing in the United States, has been designing in the craft and needle art industry since 1985. Her design work includes ribbon art, decorative painting, fabric painting, rubber stamps, silk flower arrangements and children’s kits. As a CHA certified professional demonstrator in the craft industry, Helen’s talents are also tapped by manufacturers to test, develop and demonstrate new products. She has taught a wide variety of ribbonwork classes both nationally and internationally, has written painting instruction books, four ribbon books, and is the author of many projects featured in magazines. She has also produced an instructional DVD ‐ Beginners Guide to Ribbonwork. She is the owner and CEO of Helen Gibb Design Inc, a large mail order company specializing in ribbonwork supplies. Helen's passion is ribbonwork, which she demonstrates on ‐ HGTV’s Carol Duvall Show, PBS Creative Living, and Denver TV network news programs. Flowers are a major element in Helen’s designs and this passion is evident when observing the exquisite floral creations found within the pages of her books and magazine articles. She is also a collector of Victorian and Edwardian fashions, hats, and lace; and is an avid collector of 1920’s ribbonwork. Nancy Goldsworthy Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Nancy has been sewing since she was a child. Her love of sewing took her to a career in apparel manufacturing. In 2001, after 30+ years in the industrial sewing industry, Nancy left her corporate job to follow her love of quilting. She set up her longarm machine and started up Nine Patch Quilting in the loft over her living room. Now, as an award winning quilter and author, Nancy travels the country teaching and sharing her love of quilting. Look for her books: Needles, and Threads and Bobbins, Oh My!, Flat or Fluffy? A Beginners Guide to Battings, and The Quilter’s Guide to UFO’s (Un Finished Objects) at your local quilting store. You can contact Nancy at www.ninepatchquilting.com. Geri Grasvik is owner of the Pine Needle Quilt Shop in Lake Oswego, Oregon. An avid quilter, she brings together the newest quilting fabrics with the freshest quilt patterns in wonderful kits. She has been teaching quilting classes for the Expo for many years and her classes are always well attended. Bernadette "Bernie" Griffith is the Education and Events Manager for Juki America, Inc and a featured teacher at events throughout the United States, Australia and recently returned from a teaching engagement in Italy. Bernie’s projects have been featured in numerous sewing and quilting magazines and her machine workbooks have been distributed worldwide for over 10 years. In 2011 Bernie received the highest honor an educator can be awarded in the sewing industry. She was presented with the Master Certified Sewing Educator Award at the 2011 Sewing Dealer’s Trade Association annual convention. Bernie’s relaxed teaching style, creative approach to sewing and love of machine embellishment, make her classes both informative, and fun. Judy Hahner Sorry, no bio to share. Simon Haskins Simon Haskins is Jenny’s son and business partner in her company Unique Creative Opportunities Pty Limited which started in 1999. Unique Creative Opportunities produces and publishes original embroidery design collections, quilts, books and magazines. Simon has a degree in Economics, Social Science and Psychology from Sydney University one of Australia’s most prestigious campuses, having won the math’s and art award in his final year of high school it is no wonder that after receiving his degree that he wanted to explore his creative side. Simon had his first quilt Simon’s Folly published under the same name which sold out in the US in a matter of months and has worked on many other original quilts which he has designed and made for friends and family. He also had his first book published ‘Aquamarine Ambience’, and several others with Jenny including ‘Summer Wine’, Sharman’s Vintage Garden’, Jenny’s Heritage’ and ‘When Dream’s Flower’. He is a gifted young man who has many talents and qualities that assure him of a brilliant future in any area that he should choose and has much to offer when it comes to the sewing, quilting and the embroidery industry sharing his special flair and talents to all who come in contact with him. Simon was happy to have his first child Harvey in September of 2008. Sue Hausmann Sue’s enthusiasm for sharing the lifeskill of sewing and quilting is her passion, and for more than 40 years her profession focused on quilting and sewing education. Now “retired”, Sue attributes much of her success to the encouragement and support of her husband Herb, and is thrilled he joins her in their mission, “sharing the joy of sewing and quilting”, at events across North America. Sue has produced and hosted more than 900 public broadcasting programs and has written 33 sewing and quilting books. She received the 2002 American Sewing Guild “Sewing Hall of Fame Award” and the 2007 “Master CSE award from the Sewing Education Alliance” and will be inducted into the Sewing Machine Hall of Fame early 2012. Maggie Hayes Sorry, no bio to share at this time. Lorraine Henry Lorraine is a specialist in sewing, fitting and pattern alteration for Conselle Institute of Image Management. She has a degree in Clothing and Textiles and has been a university instructor and taught classes internationally at sewing related shows. Teaching pattern alteration and fit is her favorite thing to do. She is the creator of the Two Easy Measuring tape set with an instruction booklet which has been an aid for achieving a good fit for fashion sewers throughout the world. She has also written articles on pattern alteration for Sew News Magazine. With 30+ years of experience as a custom dressmaker/tailorand teacher, she has a wealth of knowledge to share with you about sewing and fit. Check her website at www.sewinghen.com. Joan Hinds As the owner of Fancywork and Fashion, Joan has written fifteen books of doll clothing patterns, as well as two books with machine embroidery and international embellishment ideas. Her latest book, All Dolled Up, has clothes and accessory patterns for girls and their 18” dolls. Joan has also designed a variety of doll clothes patterns featuring current fashion styles that girls like to wear today and specialty patterns such as international costumes, princess designs, and Halloween costumes. The company additionally sells sewing notions, doll accessories, and machine embroidery designs for 18" dolls and 15" baby dolls. She publishes a quarterly newsletter for those who love to sew for dolls. In the fall of 2011, Joan appeared in a two‐part series called 30‐Minute Doll Clothes on Sewing with Nancy. A book featuring patterns for ten outfits and detailed instructions accompanies the programs. Each garment can be sewn in 30 minutes or less which makes them fast and easy to sew. Joan loves to travel the country sharing her knowledge of sewing and embroidery. Her work has been shown in Sew News, Designs in Machine Embroidery, and Creative Machine Embroidery magazines. Joan and her husband reside in Minnesota. With two grown children and one grandson, they are thoroughly enjoying their empty nest. Mary Jo Hiney is the owner of Mary Jo Hiney Designs, a small‐scale wholesale and retail manufacturing concern, producing the beautifully packaged Silk Adaptation silk fabrics, an original line of hand‐dyed silk ribbon, organza and velvet, numerous pattern categories including the Silk in a Snap and Pincushions on Parade pattern lines, sewing accessories and original textile art. Mary Jo is also a freelance author, completing 17 books for Sterling/Chapelle, one book with Krause Publications and 8 books with Design Originals, along with having been a project contributor for upscale how‐to books, periodicals and other pattern packagers. Previously, Mary Jo was the owner of Something Special, Made by Hand, a gifts and decorative accessories manufacturing business. She has also been a costumer, working primarily in Live Television. Mary Jo is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising with an AA degree in Design and was recognized with the Peacock Award for best design in 1976. Mary Jo teaches at quilt shows, quilt guilds, retail stores and at her own Sew MJ Sewing and Mixed Media Retreat, offered two times each year. Mary Jo’s complete product line can be seen at a limited number of quilt and mixed media shows each year, as well as online at www.maryjohineydesigns.com Candice Jewett Sorry, no bio to share at this time. Jessica Johnson Sorry, no bio to share at this time. Lana L. Jones Lana has been sewing and crafting since she was 8 years old. She has been teaching, writing, and lecturing on sewing and embroidery for 18 years. As an Educational Consultant for Quality Sewing, Lana does presentations showcasing the features of sewing/embroidery machines, sergers, and accessories. She has self‐published two books and written numerous instructions. She teaches hands‐on classes for the new machines, software, quilting and embroidery. Lana’s many years of sewing, embroidery and software knowledge can help take you to the next level with your own projects. Sharlene Jorgenson A veteran quilter of 30 years, Shar Jorgensen is a familiar face to thousands of television viewers. Her PBS television series, Quilting From The Heartland and Quilting With Shar, brings innovative techniques to quiltmakers of all skill levels. Her enthusiasm, down‐to‐earth style, and extensive experience, guide viewers through the steps of creating beautiful quilts, quickly and easily with today's tools. In 1988, Shar created her first set of laser cut, acrylic templates. Her time‐saving method of rotary cutting several layers of fabric into customized shapes brought accuracy and convenience to quiltmakers. Without sacrificing the beauty of traditional designs, Shar teaches methods for accurately reproducing ageless quilt patterns with ease and efficiency. Her step‐by‐step instructions, based upon her own hands‐on experience, take the mystique out of quilting and insure successful results. In addition to the 13 years of weekly quilt programs she taped for PBS, Shar is the author of over 40 books. She has developed over 35 templates patterns and a full line of stencils. She exhibits and teaches at over 20 quilting events annually. Through filming, writing, and teaching, Shar continues to share her knowledge and love of the art with quiltmakers everywhere. Shar was nominated as 2009 Quilter of the Year for Minnesota Quilters, Inc. This award is given to those who have done much to promote the art of quilting, both in Minnesota and internationally. In 2010 Shar taped 13 programs to be seen on The Quilting School hosted by Linda Taylor. Visit www.thequiltingschool.com to see her newest patterns. Debra Justice Debra Justice is the Proprietress of Labours of Love Heirloom Sewing Supplies an online fine sewing boutique. Debra's interest in sewing began at age 8, when her mother enrolled her in sewing classes. She is a teacher, author, video celebrity and freelance writer for Sew News magazine. With a fondness for the Victorian Era it was only natural that Debra would fall in love with Heirloom Sewing. Labours of Love was established in 1990 offering a selection of Vintage patterns, fine fabrics and French Laces. Debra's DVD’s "Precious Petticoats" and Sew You Want To Get Fancy have inspired ladies to sew heirlooms. Debra has also authored two books; Modern Machine Techniques and Learn to Sew With Your Feet . Debbie Kemp Debbie began quilting in 1993. Her first project was a “Double Irish Chain” she saw in a quilt shop window and this began her love of quilting. Debbie is a former quilt shop owner and has taught quilting for the past 10 years. She has taught classes in Oregon, Utah, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Her classes have included several “Blocks of the Month,” “Storm at Sea,” “Three Bean Salad,” “Garden Window,” “Crazy Quilting,” “Delectable Mountains,” “Paris,” “Brussels,” appliqué methods, scalloped borders, prairie points, bias binding and Punchneedle. Along with her business partner, she formed Metropolitan Quilt in 2010 to bring fresh designs to contemporary quilting. Metropolitan Quilt debuted with 30 modern quilt patterns incorporating both pieced and appliqué techniques. Their unique use of narrow sashing in their “Les Villes” Collection has received tremendous attention. The initial collection includes “Paris,” “Brussels,” “Rio de Janiero,” “Sydney” and “Amsterdam.” Metropolitan Quilt is currently designing quilts for the new Anna Griffin Fabric Collections. They are also working on publishing a book, designing fabric and developing a line of Punchneedle patterns and kits. Her students will also benefit from her professional teaching
style having been a corporate training manager for several
years.
Barbara Kirk & Margret Darrah Barbara Kirk, a lifelong crafter and sewer, is the newest owner of Esther's Fabrics in Bainbridge Island, WA. Esther's, reputedly the oldest fabric store in the state, has just added its own art gallery. This way we are a part of the local art scene and can promote the work of local fiber artists. This ties in well with what we do best: provide our customers with inspiration for quilting, needlework, craft, and home decorator projects! Here's where the store relies on Margret Darrah, long‐time staff member, artist, quilter, needleworker, and Esther's Creative Director. With her eye for color and detail, as well as her whimsical approach to design, it is Margret's special touch that brings projects out of the ordinary and into the spotlight. Together we'll share with you some of the fun we have at Esther's. Linda Kubik Linda Kubik is a designer and sewing educator who also weaves. She has taught weavers to sew since 1991 and orginated many of the handwoven sewing techniques now frequently used. She’s provided countless home sewers the opportunity and joy of sewing handwoven fabric. Linda wrote Sew Something Special, sewing with handwoven fabric, in 1996. She completely revised and updated it in 2007. She currently has 13 designs in her pattern line, Elements. Cheryl Kuczek Cheryl is a designer of handbags, clothing, and home accessories. Her custom designs combine charm with a modern eclectic, retro twist. After a twenty‐one year career at upscale retailer, Nordstrom, she launched her custom design business, Paradiso Designs by Cheryl Kuczek. In fall 2006, Cheryl launched her own independent pattern line with four handbag patterns. Since then she has published seven more patterns, including two skirts, a kimono jacket, throw pillow, and two handbags. After meeting Sandra Betzina at Sew Expo in 2010, Sandra invited Cheryl to film two shows for Power Sewing. In October 2010, May 2011, at the International Quilt Market in Houston, Cheryl introduced two new patterns with plans for at least 7 more for Fall 2011. Her pattern line is represented by several national distributors. Stitch Magazine has two projects designed by Cheryl in the Fall 2011 issue. Six years ago Cheryl began teaching adults and children not only how to sew, but how to incorporate their own styles into custom creations. As a teacher Cheryl loves helping her students learn to sew beyond what they believed they could. Using her handbag patterns, she helps them create their own look. They also learn to draft their own patterns to make clothing that fits them and, for the children, to make all kinds of whimsical stuffed creatures. Cheryl helps all of her students start and complete their own projects—and, even more important—to really understand design and the evolving creative process. She finds tremendous joy in the ability to give others a reason to sew and create as well. It is Cheryl’s passion. Beyond expanding her pattern line, Cheryl’s goal is to design a line of fabric and is working on a designer hand bag book outline with Interweave. Visit Cheryl’s blog at www.paradisodesigns.blogspot.com today, to get inspired. Find all of Cheryl's patterns on her website at www.paradisodesigns.com. Carmen LaPonte Carmen LaPonte is the Advertising and Marketing manager for Quality Sewing & Vacuum. Growing up in the family business, she has been part of the sewing industry virtually her whole life. As a full‐time employee since 2002 she has worn many hats from salesperson and educator to graphic designer and creative director. She loves her job and is excited to be a part of introducing people to the latest sewing, quilting and embroidery innovations. Carmen started sewing as a young child on her Mother's Singer Featherweight and today she has expanded her sewing to home decor, quilting and fun stuff for her two young children. Linda Lee Linda Lee is the owner of The Sewing Workshop Pattern Collection, a group of patterns for distinctive garments using innovative sewing techniques. Linda writes for Threads, Sew News and Stitch magazines. She travels the country teaching fine sewing techniques and the art of combining beautiful fabrics and distinctive design in garment and home decorating creations. Using her background as a licensed interior designer and a member of ASID since 1974, she has written fourteen books relating to garment sewing and interiors. Sew Sensational Pillows won the Independent Book Award in the Craft and Hobby Category and Sew Easy won Honorable mention by the Independent Publisher Book Awards for Most Original Design in their “Ten Outstanding Books of the Year” awards. Starting with making and selling felt hats in 6th grade, Linda’s business ventures have followed – from a life‐long career in interior design to producing avant garde sewing patterns for the adventurous sewer. One pillow‐making project ultimately led to fourteen books, television appearances on HGTV and traveling and teaching the fine art of combining beautiful fabrics and innovative sewing techniques for both garments and interiors. Libby Lehman LIBBY LEHMAN began making quilts 39 years ago when her mother, Catherine Anthony, signed them up for a basic class. Over the years she has evolved from a traditional handworker to one of the leaders in innovative machine stitching. Her studio art quilts have won many awards and appear in private, corporate, and museum collections, including The Museum of the American Quilter’s Society, VISA International, Fairfield Processing Corporation and Cogen Technologies. She is the author of Threadplay with Libby Lehman and her quilts have appeared in many books and international publications. Her quilt Joy Ride was chosen as one of the Best 100 American Quilts of the 20th Century. In 2004 Bernina awarded Libby their prestigious Quilt Leadership Award. In addition to making quilts, most of her time is spent teaching, judging & lecturing in the US as well as internationally (Canada, Japan, Australia, the UK, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, and Switzerland). Libby lives in Houston, Texas, her native city, with her husband, Lester. They have a 39‐year‐old son, Les, Jr., who is an acclaimed fly fisherman. Libby and Les have a great time exchanging threads and gadgets. Cindy Losekamp Cindy Losekamp has been sewing since she was three years old. Her Grandmother was her mentor for the first years of sewing. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t do and there was no such thing as no. When something needed to be sewn…she could do it. Cindy has adopted that can do attitude…never taking no as the answer and always being able to find a new way to do things. With that in mind, Cindy pioneered creating hand look embroideries using the stitches from the sewing machine and then created the first “crocheted” pillowcase girls with 12 weight cotton thread and the sewing machine, moving into the embroidery world with the same kind of effects. Besides creating the vintage look, she has created many beautiful landscapes with fiber and thread, a line of sweatshirt modifications in books, patterns and CD’s and written over one hundred books, patterns and articles. Cindy is a fun and enlightening teacher known for her incredible amount of samples and ingenious way of creating. She has been a guest on many of the PBS sewing shows like “Sew Creative”, “It’s Sew Easy”, "America Sews" and "America Quilts Creatively" and she has traveled extensively...nationally as well as internationally...teaching her methods of machine art to students of all ranges. Cindy has loved being on the cutting edge of the creative side of sewing. She has been teaching for over 29 years and her students love her patient and understandable style. Cindy is president of her own company, Sew Artfully Yours, Inc. which she began in 1998. Sew Artfully Yours, Inc. has gone though many changes in the fourteen years since its inception. The one thing that has remained constant is Cindy’s creative way of designing and teaching and inspiring people to draw on their own creativity. You will enjoy learning from this exciting and empowering sewing personality. Linda MacPhee Linda MacPhee, is one of Canada's foremost sewing experts. She is co‐founder of MacPhee Workshop (along with her husband Harris), one of Canada's largest design houses and pattern manufacturers. Linda, with teaching and Home Economics degrees, in her capacity as Creative Director and Chief Fashion Designer, has been instrumental in developing and producing the over 150 different patterns currently carried by MacPhee Workshop. She is a highly motivated, energetic and talented individual who has been involved in shaping the outerwear fashion industry for many years. Linda has successfully combined good design with quality fabrics to produce a line of custom design clothing and patterns with a distinctive personal flair. She has produced critically acclaimed sewing videos that give the viewer an insight into her creative and infectious ideas in fun, fast, and fashionable sewing projects. Besides creating two collections of MacPhee Designs each year, presenting seminars, appearing on television, and writing newsletters, Linda presents the MacPhee Workshop fashion show to people in over 40 cities throughout Canada and the United States. Linda can also be seen on Canadian Learning TV (Canada), The Knowledge Network (British Columbia), ACCESS (Alberta) and PBS (United States) in her own sewing show "Linda MacPhee's Workshop". Marsha McClintock is owner of SAF‐T‐POCKETS Patterns where she designs patterns with hidden pockets suited for travel or every day wear. In addition she organizes and leads her Sew Many Options Tours for sewing enthusiasts to places like New York and Toronto. Her experience in locating fabric and notion resources has been incorporated into her tours. She wears her SAF‐T‐POCKETS garments for her trips and has found the two companies are a natural combination. She enjoys traveling the country teaching at sewing shows, guides and the national ASG conferences. Marsha is an active member in the American Sewing Guild and the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals (Portland, Oregon Chapters). Linda McGehee Designer, Linda McGehee has a diverse sewing background with 40 years’ experience from garments to handbags, piecing to heirloom, surface manipulation to combining a variety of methods into a sampler of various techniques. Linda has traveled the globe demonstrating and lecturing from her books and is much sought after at trade and machine conventions, consumer shows, guilds, shops, and television. Linda is owner of Ghee's mail‐order sewing and notions company. The most popular patterns are those designed by Linda for handbags with ready‐to‐wear handbag hardware. She has published several books on sewing; Texture with Textiles (winner in the sewing division of PCM's 1992 Product of Excellence Awards); More...Texture With Textiles (finalist for the same award in 1993); a Companion Project Book; and Spiraling Schemes and Chromatics (winner in the sewing book division of the 1997 Primedia Awards of Excellence); Simply Sensational Bags ‐ How to stitch and embellish handbags, totes, and satchels (out of print); and her latest book, the Perfect Bag ‐ 101 Stylish Looks from Simple Patterns. Linda's vest patterns include: Linda's Vest, Shirt Tail Vest, and The Woven Vest. Each is a base pattern styled for further manipulation. Linda has designed and created garments for the prestigious Fairfield Fashion Show, Statements, Capitol Imports, and Better Homes & Gardens. These garments are works of art combining many of the techniques from her books. On My Way to the Mardi Gras, from the Fairfield 1996‐1997 show graced the front cover of Craft & Needlework Age Magazine, October, 1996. Angela McIntyre In 1997 Angela R. McIntyre took a Begin to Quilt class. Completely hooked, but not one to always play by the rules, she immediately began designing her own quilts and quilted projects, as well as developing her own techniques of Thread Painting and Embellishment, and Surface Design. After many requests she began teaching her techniques and methods at local quilt shops and shows. Now she designs patterns under Laughing Cat Designs Etc. and teaches her unique methods of thread painting and embellishment at the national level. Kathy McMakin Kathy McMakin is one of America's foremost authorities in the field of heirloom sewing by machine and by serger. She teaches beginning and advanced sewers from every corner of the world and inspires a new level of confidence in her students. Kathy is the president of Martha Pullen Company. She also produces Martha’s Sewing Room and directs Martha Pullen’s Love of Heirloom events held all across the United States. She is director of Martha Pullen’s Teacher Licensing Program and a consultant for Sew Beautiful and Stitch, Craft, Create magazines. She has been a guest instructor at events for every major sewing machine manufacturer in the world. She has authored several sewing books and has produced and appeared in numerous sewing and serging videos. Kathy lives in Huntsville, Alabama, with her husband and has two grown children and two absolutely precious grandchildren. Lyla Messinger Lyla J. Messinger is an internationally recognized designer, speaker, author and teacher. She owns L.J. Designs, a multi‐
faceted company including L.J. Designs, À La Mode, and Eclectic Treasures pattern lines, Design Plus® notions, and TheSewingPlace.com website for fashion sewing enthusiasts. Lyla retired from teaching to promote fashion sewing by providing simple, stylish garment patterns, notions, education and inspiration. Known throughout the sewing industry as an innovator, she was a founding member of the Independent Pattern Company Alliance (IPCA) and was one of honored as 2009 Excellent Teacher of the Year at American Sewing Expo. She has designed an entire line of zippers for the Riri zipper company of Switzerland. She is the author of the book Ordinary to Extraordinary: Terrific Treatments for Garment Sewing and contributed to Notions, published by Taunton. She has also been featured in Threads, Sew News, Sew Beautiful and Australian Stitches magazines, as well as on DIY Network’s “Sew Much More” show. She is known for her innovative styles and unique lines that offer simplicity and comfort to all ages, shapes and sizes. Marti Michell It is no wonder that Marti Michell, the 2004 Silver Star Honoree at the Houston International Quilt Festival, is often introduced as a pioneer in the current quilt revival. In fact, in 1972 when Marti and her husband Richard started Yours Truly, Inc., a patchwork kit company, there was no quilt industry. Since then, she has contributed in almost every capacity. Whether she is participating as a teacher, quilter, author, publisher, manufacturer, designer, consultant, judge or quilt collector, her enthusiasm for and love of quilting is always evident. Since 1995 the Michells have manufactured the From Marti Michell line of acrylic templates and specialty rulers for rotary cutting. A popular teacher, Marti travels extensively, both in the states and internationally to teach. Look through your library of quilting books and you'll surely find one of Marti's books. At latest count, over 1.75 million books authored by Marti have been sold. Likewise, you undoubtedly have fabric, patterns or tools that she has designed in your collected sewing materials. Furthermore, her influence in the quilting industry is enormous. During the Yours Truly years, 1972‐1985, Marti "discovered" and she and Richard published and promoted into early prominence, quiltmaker/author/teacher personalities such as Mary Ellen Hopkins, Liz Porter, Marianne Fons, Harriet Hargrave, Susan McKelvey, Jean Wells, and Cheryl Bradkin. The Silver Star is a prestigious “lifetime achievement” award. In 1991 she also received the first Michael Kile award given for commitment to creativity and excellence in the quilting industry. Marti lives in Atlanta, GA, but was born and raised in Iowa. She received a B.S. in Textiles and Clothing and Home Ec Journalism from Iowa State University. Mary Libby Neiman Mary Libby Neiman has been working with beads and fibers for over 15 years. She has written two books, Bead Crochet Basics and Bead Knitting as well as many articles for Beadwork, Bead &Button and other craft magazines. Her designs have been published in several books by Interweave Press and Kalmbach. She has taught classes on beading, bead crochet, bead knitting and tassel making for over a dozen trade organizations and consumer shows. Developing new products for mills and manufacturers and designing kits for bead stitching, bead knitting and bead crocheting have been satisfying and inspiring for her. Kim Novak Sorry, no bio to share at this time. Pattie Otto Drawing from a lifetime of sewing, Pattie started an alterations business in 1982 but soon realized a passion for teaching others to sew. She has taught extensively over the years, with her favorite classes being machine embroidery, heirloom work, silk ribbon embroidery by machine, serger techniques, swim & action wear, and fitting seminars. Pattie has also designed and coordinated production for a small swimwear manufacturer. Pati Palmer Pati Palmer, owner of Palmer/Pletsch Publishing, has written 12 sewing books, published another 18, produced 20 sewing DVDs, and has created a line of interfacings and sewing notions. She has been a licensee for the McCall Pattern Company since 1980, creating and writing the sewing instructions for over 220 designs. She has taught sewing classes throughout North America and Australia. She offers 4‐ and 5‐day Palmer/Pletsch Sewing Vacations 12 times a year in Portland, OR and Philadelphia, PA. She has revolutionized how sewers learn to make clothes to fit their bodies and McCall Pattern Company calls her their Fit Expert. Vaune Pierce Vaune Pierce lives in Moorpark, California and lives with her husband John and their four children. Although trained as an engineer, she started smocking over 20 years ago, right after her first child was born, and has been hooked ever since. Twice she has attended classes at the Imperial Bordados Embroidery Factory in Madeira, Portugal, and has taken Ayershire Embroidery in Glasgow, Scotland from Agnes Bryson. A SAGA member since 1989, she has taught at many SAGA Seminars and Conventions and sewing groups throughout the United States. She teaches classes in construction, smocking, embroidery, and design. She has also been a member of the National Board of Smocking Arts Guild of America. Vaune is also a contributing editor for Creative Needle and Sew Beautiful. She is the owner of Vaune, which carries fine fabrics, laces and Swiss embroideries. In 2006, she started the pattern lines Classic Couture and Classic Couture for Children. She can be contacted at (805) 529‐5005, [email protected], or www.vaune.com Cecelia Podolak Cecelia Podolak, Vancouver, BC, specializes in sewing quality garments with an emphasis on professional pressing. Her best‐
selling Threads book, Easy Guide to Sewing Jackets, and her video/DVD, Fearless Pressing, have become invaluable references for the sewing library Through her company, Material Things, she designs The Classics line of fashion sewing patterns to fit “real bodies”. The basic patterns can be used as they are or can be easily restyled to incorporate other design features. Cecelia also writes for sewing magazines and has been a contributing author to Threads, Sew News, Vogue Pattern Magazine and Australian Stitches. Several of her garments have appeared on the cover of Threads magazine. She conducts and teaches seminars and workshops in both Canada and the United States. Summer workshops are held in her Port Moody studio. Cecelia has a MSc in Clothing, Textiles, and Merchandising and is a highly thought of university professor. Learn more by visiting her web site: www.CeceliaPodolak.com Janet Pray
Janet has an educational background in business and fine art. Self‐employed since 1981 as a Fiber Artist, Fiber Arts teacher and Sewing Instructor. Ms. Pray began her career in the sewing industry creating a unique line of artistic women’s clothing. She is the owner of Islander Sewing Systems and teaches industrial sewing techniques developed by her aunt, Margaret Islander. Ms. Pray wrote the book, Islander Sewing Systemsä I. and co‐authored the popular DVD, Easy Zippers. Janet’s next venture was developing the American Sewing Expo held annually in Novi, Michigan. Recently Janet’s enthusiasms for the sewing industry lead her to establish The National Sewing Council, a non‐profit organization focused on encouraging more people to experience the joy of sewing. Janet serves as the Executive Director for that organization. Martha Pullen Martha founded Martha Pullen Company in 1981. Her love of heirloom sewing and teaching was the reasons she started the business. She has authored more than 55 books since 1983, has taught sewing on 6 continents, and has hosted Martha’s Sewing Room for 17 years (PBS) which airs in all 50 states. It has even been translated into Japanese! In 1987 Martha founded Sew Beautiful magazine which is distributed internationally also. Twice yearly she conducts the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion‐February and July‐where sewing enthusiasts from all over the world come to Huntsville to sew and sew and sew and have the best time ever. Eight times per year she hosts Martha Pullen Licensed Teacher weeks. Currently there are Martha Pullen Licensed teachers on 6 continents teaching her techniques and projects. Martha’s best‐selling business book, “Turn Your Hobby Into Money” is being revised now. In this book Martha shares her journey of how others can follow in her footsteps to start or grow a hobby based business. Martha has been inducted into the ASG Hall of Fame. She was named a Daughter of Distinction of the Daughters of the American Revolution an honor she shares with Elizabeth Dole and Janet Reno. She was named Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce Executive of the year, the second woman in the history of the organization to receive this award. Martha is very excited to be back in Puyallup, the greatest sewing show on earth!!! Bob Purcell is President and owner of Superior Threads and a self‐certified doctor of threadology. He worked in Japan for 10 years and speaks fluent Japanese. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 1984. His background is in product development, customer service, and quality control. He taught for many years at a private school and also at the college level. Since 1999 he has educated thousands within our industry and has had many articles published in various industry magazines. He got involved in the thread business to support his wife’s (Mother Superior) quilting addiction. And he knows most of the places women stash fabric. Sue Purdy Sue has been sewing since she was 11 years old in 4‐H. The only embellishment she had then were snaps and buttonhole twist. She majored in textiles in college, and thankfully emb. has gotten more diverse. She is the former owner of Sue's Sparklers, another great embellishment. Now, she is the using the sun to print and make silk screens and then spray painting to add more texture. It's all about the layers. Plus, she likes the new technique of laser‐cut appliques. Gina Reddin Sorry, no bio to share at this time. Mattie Rhoads
Hi! My name is Mary Pat "Mattie" Rhoades, President of Quiltsmart, Inc, located just south of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I taught quilting for years and was always frustrated with fussy patterns and tedious sewing methods. With that feeling, out‐
of‐the‐box thinking, and a desire for a creative challenge, Quiltsmart was born in 1994 with 4 patterns, Double Wedding Ring, Mary's Flower Garden, Eight Point Star (now "North Star"), and Drunkard's Path. All of these patterns were based on using printed fusible interfacing to make the process much easier ‐ no curved or inset piecing! Today, Quiltsmart has developed 5 different methods using printed interfacing and over 40 patterns including our popular Lone Star and Mondo Bag as well as other classic quilt and bag patterns. Tens of thousands of Quiltsmart projects have been completed all around the world. Our goal is to make quilting fun, leaving behind the tedious work of the past, yet keeping the classic look of the quilts we all love. Though I'm far from a perfectionist, a side benefit of making quilting easier using printed interfacing is that it ends up being very accurate! So, quilting these traditionally‐difficult quilts (like Lone Stars, Compasses, Dahlias) becomes easy for beginners and fun and quick for seasoned quilters. Between being a mom of 3 great young adults and running the business, I also love traveling, and have taught the Quiltsmart methods in Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico and Spain, as well as all over the United States. I also enjoy inline skating, sunny days, "Candy" ‐ the family Scottish Terrier (yes, we have a Scottie Dog pattern), quilting & sewing, tone on tone fabrics, playing scrabble, the 4‐day work week, and anything chocolate. Eileen Roche
Eileen Roche is founder and editor of Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine. She is also an innovator in her field‐
developing products in the embroidery industry that save time and money while enabling embroiderers to fulfill their creative passion for machine embroidery. She is a frequent guest on Sewing With Nancy and she also hosts the Embroider It Yourself educational video series. She is the author of several books including Contemporary Machine Embroidered Quilts (2004, Krause Publications) and Contemporary Machine‐
Embroidered Fashions (2006, Krause Publications) and Contemporary Machine‐Embroidered Accessories (2007, Krause Publications) and Machine Embroidered Quilting and Applique (2011, Krause Publications). Rosebud
Rosebud is an author, pattern maker, and certified instructor with extensive industrial sewing experience in the ready‐to‐
wear industry. Co‐author of the Easy Zippers DVD, she travels across the U.S. and Canada teaching techniques from the industry. Rosebud also conducts hands‐on pattern draping and pant drafting for the perfect fit. In her spare time, she custom designs reproduction hats, garments, and accessories for those who enjoy traveling the back roads in antique vehicles. Cindy Rowell Growing up, Cindy was inspired by a talented mother who fostered her interest in sewing and crafts. Cindy has taught for over 30 years, combining her extensive background in sewing and crafts into her presentations and seminars. Her dynamic personality and professional teaching style provide creative inspiration for her students. Her informative seminars are always filled with invaluable information, unique creative ideas, practical tips, and exciting new techniques. Kathy Ruddy Kathy’s first job was in 1962 when at 17 she was a fabric clerk at a Singer Store in Seattle, WA. which lasted until through her graduation in 1966 from the U of W majoring in Design for Apparel Manufacture. Kathy started sewing at the age of 7 when her 12 year old sister took her first required sewing class. They both inherited sewing genes from a grandmother, a dressmaker to the rich and famous in England who died before we were born. Peggy Sagers Peggy Sagers holds a BS degree, double majoring in both Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising. Peggy spends her time teaching at seminars in the United States and Canada and recently featured as a guest on It’s Sew Easy , she brings no frills to the home sewing world from the ready‐to‐wear world. She professionally drafts patterns doing freelance for numerous manufactures throughout the US. For 14 years, she has created the pattern line called “Silhouette Patterns”, which currently distributes patterns worldwide. Her designs incorporate B, C, and D cup sizing as well as proportionate lengths, which is unique in the pattern industry. In addition to apparel designs, Peggy has designed the patterns of the costumes worn by the 1994 Men’s Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medallist, Elvis Stojko. Lynnette Sandbloom Lynnette took a quilting class with Laura Jones, her business partner and neighbor, about 15 years ago "just for fun". That one class has led to pattern design, fabric design, and floor mat expertise. As an artist, designer, and speaker, she combines her talents and passion when she talks about floor mats. Lynnette has spoken all over the United States about floor mat making and her enthusiasm is contagious. She has sold her floor mats in art galleries, quilting events, and has over 10 designs available as patterns through Beach Garden Quilts. Lynnette and Laura are also published in magazines. When not busy in the studio, Lynnette enjoys time with her husband, two children, a little dog, and a spotted horse. Becky Scellato My love for Japanese textiles and crafts began in the 1960's when my father was stationed at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa. We had a mama‐san who came weekly to teach us how to shop in the local markets and cook oriental dishes. She also taught me to do Bunka, Japanese punch embroidery. I had learned how to sew at an early age and felt a real excitement at being taught different hand stitching crafts. Over 15 years ago, I learned Sashiko from a Japanese woman and fell in love with the process. An easy embroidery technique using a running stitch, Sashiko is relaxing and fun and creates a sense of peace while stitching. Sashiko is elegance in simplicity. We opened our shop, Shibori Dragon, in September 2002, which specializes in Asian fabrics and other related textiles. Sashiko is one of our specialties and I have been collecting historical Sashiko pieces for the past 10 years.
Lisa Shaw is an independent software instructor and Technical Support Manager for Buzz Tools Inc. Lisa started doing machine embroidery as a hobby selling handmade items at holiday craft shows, to get away from the computer. It was a combination of being able to sew and embroider on the same machine that got her hooked. Starved for more information, Lisa went online and met Lisa Laufer‐Hilmes on an machine embroidery mailing list. Within the year, Lisa L‐H wrote her first little batch program that would print out more than one embroidery design information per page – that was a BIG DEAL back then! Then she wrote another little batch program that would convert machine designs formats to the one your machine needed. Buzz Tools was born. Buzz Tools programs were developed with this easy to use premise in mind – whether converting, organizing, sizing, wizard based auto‐digitizing, lettering or their newest customizing & editing program. And since Lisa S. answers all the tech support questions for Buzz Tools Inc., keeping our software simple and easy to use helps all of us get from the computer to the embroidery machine as quickly as possible. Robyn Spady was introduced to sewing and other fiber arts at a very young age and has indulged herself ever since. She is a master weaver and a technical editor for Handwoven magazine. Robyn has published numerous articles and publications, including Handwoven Decorative Trim, Jewelry from Your Stash, and the forthcoming Make Your Own Cord and Trim. Robyn teaches throughout the United States and Canada. She enjoys sharing her knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for textiles, fabrication methods, and related techniques for creating jewelry and garments that are as much fun to make as they are to wear. Connie Spurlock Connie Spurlock, owner of and a designer for Sew Wonderful Dreams lives in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and has been teaching across the US for more than 20 years. Schooled in marketing but with a passion for teaching, Connie brings "can~do" projects to students on every level. Our specialties are paper piecing and applique but we love our "freedom projects" for sweatshirt jackets and tote bags ~ patterns geared for fun and easy sewing. Katherine Tilton I've been creating all my life. I have a vivid memory of one of my first drawings ‐ a woman sitting in a chair. What a great feeling of accomplishment when I'd satisfactorily solved the problem of how to depict her form in line on paper. That sense of accomplishment and satisfaction continues to be present as I create today. The art forms and materials used expand and contract to include drawing, painting, designing, sewing, sculpting ‐ I love it all! Marcy Tilton Marcy’s passion for fabric, design and making things is an integral part of all her life's adventures. Through her teaching and website, www.marcytilton.com she introduces creativity into everyday life, offering inspiration, experiential learning, and a curated collection of fabrics and materials. Marcy designs a line of clothing and accessory patterns for Vogue Patterns. As an author, she produces an informative website newsletter and blog, and writes for Threads and Vogue Sewing Magazine. With Diane Ericson, she co‐conducts Design Outside the Lines creativity/sewing retreats nationally. Marcy and her sister Katherine escort intimate groups on design‐
oriented travel experiences to Paris. Nurturing creative courage, Marcy supports and stimulates the unfolding of each individual’s unique fiber arts expression. "I create nearly every day, for fun, for class preparation, for the pleasure of touching the cloth, figuring out a design, or for the challenge of solving a problem. I have learned to appreciate 'mistakes' because so many new techniques, ideas and improvements take place because of them. I love teaching and communicating about sewing and clothes, fashion and fiber arts, because through this I continue to learn and grow." M.T. Lorraine Torrence Lorraine holds a BFA in Art and an MFA in Sculpture but started making quilts in 1971. She has been teaching quilting since 1972 and now teaches on the national circuit as well as in other countries. Her love of clothing mixes with quilting skills and results in wearable art that has been exhibited in 3 Fairfield Fashion Shows, 3 Bernina Fashion Shows and 7 AQS Fashion Shows. She has won numerous awards in the AQS Fashion Show and has judged that show and other wearable art shows several times. She owns three lines of garment patterns, has written 3 books, contributed to others and in 2001 designed her first line of fabric for Clothworks. Annie Unrein
A quilter for over 30 years, Annie Unrein of ByAnnie.com has been designing patterns and teaching quilting classes since 2000. Her quilts and designs have been published in Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting, Quilt, Quilter's Newsletter, and Memory Makers magazines. In 2010 Annie introduced ByAnnie's Soft and Stable, a terrific new product that she developed to give body, stability, and a professional finish to bags, purses, home dec items and more. Annie's goal is to write patterns that are easy to understand with complete instructions to guide you every step of the way. With a focus on practical and useful projects, Annie's patterns appeal to a wide range of customers and serve as a base for great classes. One of only seven official Superior Educators, Annie works closely with Superior Threads and teaches at Superior's School of Threadology seminars. Two of Annie's favorite Superior products are Texture Magic and Charlotte's Fusible Web fusible thread, and she has designed many patterns for using these terrific products as well. Find more info at her website: www.byannie.com or her blog: www.byanniecom.blogspot.com Linda Visnaw A teaching degree along with her managerial experi‐ence at a Husqvarna Viking store located in a JoAn‐nETC, and over 50 years of sewing experience has prepared her well. As a fiber artist living in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Linda feels she has the very best opportunity of her life. That is, teaching others how to sew, designing for embroidery and quilting, and stitching her own quilts. She brings her varied programs and classes to quilt shops and guilds throughout the country. Linda is also a Sulky Artist and is certified in Golden Threads and Quilting from the Heartland techniques. Katrina Walker
Katrina Walker is a designer, educator and author specializing in silk and wool textiles. She particularly enjoys teaching seam construction, machine embroidery, and surface design techniques. Her designs and expertise are featured in home sewing magazines including SewStylish, Stitch, SewNews and Creative Machine Embroidery. When she is not creating in her studio, Katrina is producing boutique handspinning wool and yarns from her flock of beautiful spoiled sheep. You can follow her adventures online at katrinawalker.com. Mech Watne Mech started garment sewing as a child and added quilt piecing in her 20’s. Once she started quilting her own quilts, adding quilting to garments came soon after. Frustrated with trying to get the border pattern to fit a quilt before the kiddo woke up, Mech exclaimed there “has to be a better way!” Putting her engineering skills to use, she created PerfectBorders.com, an online service that custom scales and spaces quilting designs to fit whatever you’re working on. Teresa White has been an acrylic and water color artist for more than 30 years. She has had her work selected for the Smithsonian and the Whitehouse and was invited to the Whitehouse for dinner to see her piece on display. Besides painting, she is passionate about crazy quilting and has won Grand Champion at the Puyallup Fair for one of her crazy quilts. Teresa loves combining her artistic passions of painting, quilting and embroidery and shares her tips and techniques with her students at Shibori Dragon in Lakewood, WA. Morgaine Wilder Sorry, no bio to share at this time. Kaye Wood Kaye Wood describes herself as a “quilt Engineer”. Her main quilting interest is to simplify the quiltmaking process, which results in easier and more accurate techniques so her students can have an easier time making quilts. She breaks a lot of the “rules” with her original piecing tips which are specifically developed for the sewing machine. For instance, she never marks seamlines; she never leaves seams open ¼” at one end or the other; she never uses templates. Because of these “nevers”, she has eliminated the show‐downs in quiltmaking. For instance, her hexagon cutting technique uses no templates and they can be made any size desired. Her hexagon sewing techniques eliminate the need to mark seam lines, and results in perfect inside points. Kaye has been in business since 1977 publishing quilting books and patterns, produces videos that can be viewed on www.kayewoodtv.com, produces Kaye’s Quilting Friends for PBS‐TV and has designed and manufactured many quilting tools.
Valerie Wood Sorry, no bio to share at this time. Susan Woodcock Susan Woodcock is the Brand Experience Manager for Rowley Company, the leading supplier to the interior design industry. Before joining Rowley Company, Susan owned Tavern Hill, a professional wholesale custom drapery workroom, established in 1988. She served as an instructor for the Custom Home Furnishings Academy in Charlotte, N.C. since 2003, and has been featured in a series of CHF Academy educational videos. Susan is the former editor for Drapery & Design Professional magazine, is a member of the WCAA, a WFCP Expert and has been featured in a variety of books and magazines. Dini Yan Is a recognized artist from China who has won numerous awards for paintings and designs in China, as well as in international competitions. Dini was a Fine Arts professor at the Arts Institute of Northeast Normal University. After coming to the University of Wisconsin as a Visiting Scholar, Dini discovered a new world of opportunities in America. Among other ventures, Dini worked in New York for fashion design company S.Edwards – where she won the Top 10 New Artists award ‐‐‐ and swimwear design company Sweet Pea. Dini then performed computer‐aided design – later to be useful for digitizing ‐‐‐ as an IT manager for the NYC School Construction Authority. Dini has applied her diverse experiences into designing and digitizing unique embroidery artwork on unusual and unexpected materials.
Gail Yellen Gail Yellen teaches embellishment technique classes, garment construction and hands‐on serger workshops across the country. Chock full of valuable ideas and information for garment, quilt and home décor sewers, her classes are geared to all levels of sewing skills. Her “artful patterns with possibilities” have clear, easy‐to‐follow instructions and feature graceful, flattering lines. Gail particularly loves to teach sewers embellishment techniques that can transform the most basic garments into art‐to‐wear. An active member of the American Sewing Guild, Gail loves sharing her knowledge with enthusiastic sewers all over the country.